It May Just Be One Photo, But It Says So Much About The Struggles Of IVF

Some women get pregnant on the first shot. Others get poked with 452 needles.

When Lauren and Garyt Walker had trouble conceiving in 2014, they decided to give IVF a try. Again and again, they were met with setbacks. Three failed embryos, clotting issues, drug immunities, miscarriage…there were times when it seemed like they would never be successful. Lauren’s doctor told her, “Yes, these things are rare, but not unheard of. What’s rare is having it all happen to the same person.”

All in all, Lauren says that her and Garyt went through, “452 needles, 1000s of tears, one corrective surgery, four clomid/letrozole attempts, two IVF rounds, and three failed transfers.” Despite all of that, they kept trying.

Finally, after 953 days, twins Duke and Diana are on the way! They’re due in August, but their new onesies say it all. Worth the wait…and wait and wait and wait.

Lauren says that gathering the needles for the photo shoot was an emotional experience. She wrote:

“Halfway through my hands started to quiver, my breath got short, and I had to stop. I sat down, looked at it, and started to cry. Not because I was sad about what it took to get here, but because it was a representation of my world, our world, for the past over two and a half years staring back at me. There was a lot of pain, hope, and fear behind each of these needles. Each one represents a different day, a different path, a different emotion. It’s a lot to take in.”